The present disclosure relates generally to a computer interface to a gesticulating anthropomorphic figure and in particular, to the use of a gesticulating anthropomorphic figure to communicate information to the operator of a vehicle.
Currently, it is possible for an operator to navigate a vehicle, such as a car, using an autonomous navigation system that is onboard the car and includes a database with directions and coordinates for various locations. The directions in an autonomous navigation system can be generated by a processor is located onboard the car. The processor accesses the database and calculates directions based on the current location of the vehicle and the intended destination. Autonomous navigation systems can become outdated as the coordinates, locations and points of interest stored in the database become outdated. An alternative to autonomous navigation systems is to communicate with a server that can calculate a navigation route and transmit it to the vehicle. Typically, in such a server based system, the current location of the vehicle is determined by the server using global positioning systems (GPS) and software. Dead reckoning systems such as gyroscopes or the use of the vehicle speed pulses may also be used to help determine the current location of the vehicle. The destination is also indicated to the server, for example, by user input. Then, the server generates a route based on these two points.
Route guidance can be thought of as a process whereby an entity, such as a navigation computer, that knows how to get to a specific destination conveys information to an entity, such as a driver, that desires such information. The navigation computer knows a strategic plan of what roads the driver can take to get to the destination. Ultimately, the driver must make low-level tactical steps (e.g., recognize intersections, turn the steering wheel) to actually get to the destination. Route guidance then is a transfer function between the navigation computer plan and the low level steps taken by the driver. Any process that can accomplish this transfer can be said to provide route guidance. A map can be presented on a screen that displays the vehicle in the center. If the system knows the destination, a route to the destination can be shown as a highlighted path on the map.
Navigating with a map to perform route guidance can require several mental steps for the driver. In order to use the map, the driver must recognize the representation of the vehicle on the map as the vehicle he is operating, and the lines and words on the display as the road network surrounding the vehicle. Another process for performing route guidance is to display a detailed picture of the next maneuver with the current street and turn street labeled. Typically, the displays are mounted high in the center stack of the instrument panel. The use of an audible voice to describe the next maneuver can also be utilized to accomplish route guidance. The use of voice may result in a lower amount of additional driver workload than that associated with map reading and the use of voice may still provide the required information to the driver. Driver workload is one consideration that can be weighed when determining how to convey navigation information or any other kind of information to the operator of a vehicle.